The Dude Of Life & Phish

The Dude of Life was the alias of Steve Pollak, a New York-based singer/songwriter best known for his longstanding affiliation with jam-band icons Phish. He earned his stage moniker during the early 1980s while attending high school alongside future Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio, occasionally appearing in full Dude regalia -- tapestry, goggles, and hat -- with Anastasio's teenage band Space Antelope; together, they later collaborated on Phish favorites including "Run Like an Antelope" and "Suzie Greenberg, " with Pollak sometimes joining the band on tour. The Dude also continued writing his own solo material, and in 1991 he and Phish went into the studio for a session issued three years later as Crimes of the Mind. With new backing band the Great Red Shark -- guitarist Cliff Mays, keyboardist Mark Thors, bassist Paul Gassman and drummer Jim Weingast -- he returned in mid-1999 with Under the Sound Umbrella. ~ Jason Ankeny